Does Speed Handicapping In Greyhound Racing Pick Winners?

Many greyhound handicappers started with horse racing. Many of them still handicap the horses as well as the dogs. Maybe that’s why there’s so much attention given to speed handicapping at the dog track.

While I admit that slow greyhounds don’t win races, I’m not crazy about giving speed figures too much weight over other factors that affect a greyhound’s chances in any given race. The main reason I don’t go overboard with this is because speed figures are so hard to pin down.

How fast a greyhound ran in its last race was dependent on so many variables that will be different in its current race, that I find it impossible to predict this race’s results based on another race. Track condition, post position, the dog’s form or lack of it, the running styles of the other dogs – even the weather – all affect speed figures.

Another thing that can trump speed, even in very fast dogs, is experience. Especially for young dogs, running experience in different situations can really have an effect on whether their speed gets them to the finish line ahead of all the other dogs.

If I have a choice, I’ll take an older, well-seasoned dog who has good early speed and the stamina to hold on at the end of the race over a younger speedball any day. I know from experience that young speedsters can get into an awful lot of trouble when they overrun their ability to think ahead.

How many times have you seen a dog get out like a rocket only to fly the first turn or get caught at the wire by an older dog who was smart enough to avoid trouble and pace itself? It happens every day and it’ll continue to happen.

This is why all the dogs at your favorite track that have good winning percentages don’t necessarily have the fastest times. Check it out by looking at the times of the dogs in A who have very good win percentages. You’ll find that not all of them are as fast as some of the dogs who have lower percentages for winning.

Speed is relative, especially at the greyhound track. While it’s a factor in picking winners, it’s definitely not the only one – or even the first one – you should consider.